2012 Intergenerational Awards Presented

The province recognized seniors and youth today, May 22, for making life better in their communities with the presentation of the Intergenerational Awards.

Sharing music, promoting an active lifestyle and providing a safe and supportive program for seniors in their homes are three of the reasons to celebrate the winners of the awards.

"Together we are stronger and when younger and older people develop a relationship it creates better understanding of each other," said Seniors' Minister Denise Peterson-Rafuse.

Isabel Lavender is the recipient of the Outstanding Volunteer Service Award: Younger Generation, for sharing her music with seniors at Camp Hill Veteran's Memorial Building in Halifax. Ms. Lavender leads a hand chime choir, an accessible program in which veterans regardless of abilities, can participate. She is one of the co-ordinators of the Heart and Soul Summer Arts Camp where she is developing a new arts initiative for seniors. This program will bring together seniors experiencing physical and cognitive ailments, care partners, families, children, teenagers and university students for the purpose of learning new skills and creating musical works of art.

Edward Dugas is the recipient of the Outstanding Volunteer Service Award: Older Generation for his contribution to many generations in Halifax. Over the past 25 years, he has been a volunteer handball instructor at the South Park YMCA. He has mentored children and adults ranging in age from 8-69 years, through a handball program he developed at the YMCA. He also volunteers in schools to promote physical activity and teach students handball.

The Middleton Adult Day Program is the recipient of the Outstanding Volunteer Service Community Group Award for its contributions to seniors, children and students. The program is aimed at seniors living at home and provides a safe and supportive environment for adults 65 years and older who are frail or have chronic conditions or cognitive impairments. The program runs three days a week, providing opportunities for people to socialize, and maintain and improve intellectual and physical skills through exercise, memory stimulating activities, musical entertainment and discussions. In addition, it affords respite care for caregivers to help delay long-term care placement.

"Nova Scotia has many dedicated volunteers and when people of different generations interact it offers a valuable opportunity to see beyond generational stereotypes," said Ms. Peterson-Rafuse.

The province continues to make life better for seniors with several initiatives. They include:

• reduction in the fees for ambulance trips for Nova Scotians living in licensed long-term care facilities or with reduced mobility and people with low incomes
• more money for in-home nursing care and home improvements
• more than 500 nursing-home beds giving seniors a friendly, caring place to live
• lowering the cost of generic drugs, and investing more than $3 million so more than 100,000 seniors do not have to pay more for their Pharmacare premiums and co-payments
• returning the provincial income tax to 17,000 low-income seniors who receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement
• an increase in the land tax rebate
• the provincial portion of the HST off of home heating
• poverty reduction credit
• the affordable living tax credit
• seniors housing repair grants
• seniors' affordable housing throughout the province

The Department of Seniors continues to work to broaden public understanding of the emerging challenges and opportunities associated with Nova Scotia's aging population.